Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-05-11


would not weigh quite quarter of a
pound-that Joe brought out. together
with an alder pole, from the thicket
where he had enacted the bear
IL dug some bait on the way. and
caught these little fellows coming
along" explained Joe. as he held them
up before his companions admiring
gaze.
''Oh. Scoulclnt l like to catch just
one trout" sighed Tad; and Joe
stou:ly assured him not to worry-he'd
Put him up to catching more than one
perhaps half a Gozcn-before they
returned.
Did it hurt you UeryT much?" in
quirod Tad. presently, with delicate
reference to the cause of his compan-
ions detention.
"rhe pasteboard wasn't quite low
down enough" said Joe, mournfully,
aud Tad asked no further questions.
Father didn't llog me for just hav-
ing a little fun with You and Miss
Smith," Joe went on after a short
pause. "but because he said as good
as lied when l made her think that
you was deaf. and you think that she
was"
well" returned Tad, hesitatingly,
81 don't Snow-ycu didn't mean to say
what wasn't true, any way"
NO" said Joe, frankly; 81 didn't I
hate square up and down lie as bad
as the next one; but, come to study on
it over. guess we fellows don't stop to
think long enough, sometimes, and lie
when we don't mean to; anyhow. do,
and I'm going to try and stop it."
This was quite an admission for Joe,
who was generally very chary of ac-
knowledging his faults. But he had
begun to feel a strong boyish affection
for his companion. and spoke more
openly to him than he was in the habit
OF doing.
"But what made you so long getting
here?" asked Tad. breaking the little
silence that followed
why, after father-got through
with me-" returned ice, while hui
mcrous smile began to hover about his
mouth. ''he set me churning, and went
of down town on an errand. Mother,
she was sent for to 90 over to Mis-
Emory's. all Of sudden, and. by gra-
cious!" said Joe, rubbing his shout
ders, Il thought my arms would just
unhinSe out of the sockets before the
butter came. Wen, Nell, she took the
butter down into Tic cellar kitchen to
work it, and forgot to empt' the churn
Gas mother always does), and whilst
she was down there" continued Joe,
whose smile had begun to broaden, II
saw father coming up the walk. so what
does l do but get hold OF the churn-
dssher again. Father. he came in.
There. my SOM he says. 4 guess
you've been punished enough-you can
90 nOw,' and then he took the churn-
dasher right out of my hand. If moth
er hasn't got back. or if Nell don t
come upstairs" added Joe, with an
irrePressible smoker, II expect likely
he's churning buttermilk now"
As Tad knew rather less than a Hot
tentot regarding the mysteries OF churn-
ing, the point of Joe's little joke was
not perfectly clear to his own mind.
And perhaps, on second thought, Joe
| might have remembered that the tacit
deception practiced toward his father
was not exactly in keeping with his pro-
fessed penitence of a moment or two
previous, for he made no attempt to
enlighten his companion, but, taxing
up his pole, said, rather hastily, that
he guessed they'd better be getting to-
ward home, as it was considerably
past dinner-time
About halfway down Mil brook
were the ruins of an old saw-mill.
Here, among the great timbers below
the dam. the water made deep eddie:
and shady hooks, where trout love tc
lie in the heat of the day.
Throw in there, Tad" said Joe,
pointing to a spot where the dark water
rushed around the end of the broken
fUme ike mill-race.
Tad secretly thought that any trout
venturesome enough to trust himself in
such swift current would be swept
down stream in a twinkling. But hs
obcyed. and
Good gracious, had a sturgeon or
young whale seized his baitl His linz
went cutting through the dark waters
and the top of the alder pole bent omi
nously.
TO BE CONTINUED
/